Sagespring Wealth Partners LLC Invests $784,000 in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Sagespring Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 3,458 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock, valued at approximately $784,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 61.4% in the fourth quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management now owns 142 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 54.1% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 208 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BDX has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Barclays reduced their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $279.00 to $261.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 7th. StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 2nd. Finally, Piper Sandler raised their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $275.71.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

NYSE BDX traded down $1.91 on Friday, reaching $198.50. The stock had a trading volume of 4,062,543 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,710,218. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 0.63. The company has a market cap of $56.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $220.84 and a two-hundred day moving average of $228.58. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1-year low of $193.03 and a 1-year high of $251.99.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.00 by $0.43. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 15.74% and a net margin of 8.47%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th were given a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.10%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's payout ratio is 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Tuesday, January 28th that authorizes the company to buyback 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the medical instruments supplier to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are generally an indication that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, Director Jeffrey William Henderson acquired 1,500 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $233.62 per share, for a total transaction of $350,430.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 8,015 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,872,464.30. This represents a 23.02 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Richard Byrd sold 1,940 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.91, for a total value of $436,325.40. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 7,411 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,666,808.01. The trade was a 20.75 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 4,078 shares of company stock worth $915,986 over the last three months. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Company Profile

Becton, Dickinson and Company develops, manufactures, and sells medical supplies, devices, laboratory equipment, and diagnostic products for healthcare institutions, physicians, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, pharmaceutical industry, and the general public worldwide. The company operates in three segments: BD Medical, BD Life Sciences, and BD Interventional.